{
  "id": 2797782,
  "title": "Real Madrid manager identifies best position to maximise star midfielder’s output",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/real-madrid-manager-identifies-best-position-to-maximise-star",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T13:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/real-madrid-manager-identifies-best-134500993.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has identified the optimal position for star midfielder Jude Bellingham to maximize his output, according to recent reports. Bellingham shone brightly in Real Madrid's recent win over Espanyol, even scoring the opening goal, showcasing his attacking prowess and fluidity in the final third. Mourinho believes that assigning Bellingham as a link-up player behind the forwards is the key to maximizing his potential. This position allows Bellingham to focus on attacking opportunities while minimizing his defensive and buildup responsibilities. Mourinho acknowledges that traditional positions for Bellingham, such as the number 6 or number 8 roles, would hinder his overall output and limit his impact on the field. With Bellingham positioned as a floating attacking midfielder, his defensive contributions will be reduced, necessitating a robust pivot. Real Madrid currently has several defensive midfield options, including Valverde, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga. The manager faces a challenge in finding the perfect combination to balance defensive solidity with attacking explosiveness. It is clear, however, that under Mourinho's guidance, Bellingham will not be expected to operate in the deep midfield.",
  "summary": "Jude Bellingham was one of Real Madrid’s few standout players in last night’s win over Espanyol and even scored the team’s opening goal on the night.The Englishman was seemingly everywhere in th...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/three-takeaways-from-espanyol-1-2-real-madrid",
        "published": "2026-08-23T07:20:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}